In the East, Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism of the Lord. Is this possibly the source of the confusion?I have heard many different people tell me that the Christmas season ends on on January 6, the traditional feast of the Epiphany. Others tell me that it’s January 13, the traditional feast of the Baptism of the Lord. I always believed the latter. Does the Christmas season traditionally end on January 6 or 13?
So one and the same feast celebrates the visit of the Wise Men to baby Jesus AND His baptism by John the Forerunner? Curious.In the East, Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism of the Lord. Is this possibly the source of the confusion?
In the East, it is celebrated as the Baptism of the Lord, not as the visit of the Magi.So one and the same feast celebrates the visit of the Wise Men to baby Jesus AND His baptism by John the Forerunner? Curious.
I see now - so I’m guessing the visit of the Magi is celebrated at a different time then.In the East, it is celebrated as the Baptism of the Lord, not as the visit of the Magi.
The confusion may stem from the revisions to the kalendar. Prior to 1955, Epiphany had an octave, so the octave day, 13 January, was the end of the Christmas commemoration. But the octave weas supressed in 1955. However, the Sunday after Epiphany remained the feast of the Holy Family, until 1970, when it was moved to the Sunday after Christmas. The Sunday after Epiphany became the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, which had previously been commemorated on the octave day.I have heard many different people tell me that the Christmas season ends on on January 6, the traditional feast of the Epiphany. Others tell me that it’s January 13, the traditional feast of the Baptism of the Lord. I always believed the latter. Does the Christmas season traditionally end on January 6 or 13?
No, it is the same feast, the Manifestation of Our Lord to the Gentiles.I see now - so I’m guessing the visit of the Magi is celebrated at a different time then.
LilyM’s question was in reference to the East. In the East, the Feast of the Ephiphany is not a celebration of the visit of the Magi. Rather, it celebrates the Baptism of our Lord as the revelation of him as Messiah and the the second person of the Holy Trinity.No, it is the same feast, the Manifestation of Our Lord to the Gentiles.
I am aware that her question referred to the East. My reply had said essentially what you said above, though in different (and possibly not as clear) words.LilyM’s question was in reference to the East. In the East, the Feast of the Ephiphany is not a celebration of the visit of the Magi. Rather, it celebrates the Baptism of our Lord as the revelation of him as Messiah and the the second person of the Holy Trinity.
I have noticed that many of our traditional parishes leave the crib (and sometimes other decorations) until the feast of the presentation/purification.Though the Christmas season itself ends on that Sunday after Epiphany, the Christmas cycle continues through the feast of the Presentation/Purification on 2 February. Our parish leaves the creche up until that date, which is forty days after Christmas, though the decorations come down after the Sunday after Epiphany. In the liturgy, the seasonal antiphon of Our Lady changes from Alma Redemptoris Mater to Ave Regina Caelorum**.**
My question still stands though - for those for whom the Epiphany is NOT a celebration of the visit of the Magi, is there then a separate feast on another date celebrating the visit of the Magi?LilyM’s question was in reference to the East. In the East, the Feast of the Ephiphany is not a celebration of the visit of the Magi. Rather, it celebrates the Baptism of our Lord as the revelation of him as Messiah and the the second person of the Holy Trinity.
The tropars for the Feast of the Nativity in the Byzantine Rite already talks about the Magi. The gospel reading includes the arrival of the Magi. So it is not a separate feast for us.My question still stands though - for those for whom the Epiphany is NOT a celebration of the visit of the Magi, is there then a separate feast on another date celebrating the visit of the Magi?
It is also not called Epiphany but Theophany.LilyM’s question was in reference to the East. In the East, the Feast of the Ephiphany is not a celebration of the visit of the Magi. Rather, it celebrates the Baptism of our Lord as the revelation of him as Messiah and the the second person of the Holy Trinity.
Actually, both Epiphany and Theophany are used in the East.It is also not called Epiphany but Theophany.